Nightmare Dust and Cherubs
by ErinHiddlestoner
Summary: A (belated) Valentine's Day special for my story "The Other Half" with my version of Jack sister, Jillian St. Valentine. Valentine's Day is always Jillian's busiest day of the year. All she really wants, though, is to spend a romantic day like that with Pitch. What sort of surprise does the infamous Boogeyman have up his sleeve for his beloved?


AN: Happy (belated) Valentine's Day! In celebration of the holiday, I decided to write a little side story for Pitch and Jillian, since she's Cupid and all. This takes place pre-The Other Half and pre- Rise of the Guardians. Sorry if it seems rather fluffy; it is a Valentine's Day special, though. :) Also, I figured Pitch would be rather "old-fashioned" when it comes to relationships considering who he was before he became the Nightmare King. Hope you guys enjoy it! P.S. In the forgotten language of flowers, sweetbriar roses are thought to express sympathy. Also, Oswin and Elijah are from one of my original stories. – Katheryn xoxo

Nightmare Dust and Cherubs

"Finally," Jillian said to herself, leaving the moonlit park in Manhatten. "That's the last assignment for today."

She yawned briefly before sending one last smile at the young couple on the bench behind her. Oswin and Elijah seemed very peaceful and content; a sign that she had done her job perfectly. She could sit there and watch the results all evening. But her fatigue got the better of her and so she turned away from the teenaged couple and began heading back home.

Jillian loved Valentine's Day. It was the one day a year that love seemed to flow freely throughout the world, and it greatly strengthened Jillian. It proved that there were still plenty of people on Earth who still believed in first love or just love in general.

It was also her busiest day of the year. She had been up since three a.m., regretfully leaving Pitch's side to start the day off. She hadn't been home since then, having to dash off about the globe, flitting from country to country spreading love and caring. She even managed to stop by North's for about a minute; he was always just a bit less jolly on February 14th. She left a sweetbriar rose outside of his study, certain he would find it. He always did.

Now, however, she just wanted to return home to Pitch and try to enjoy the last couple of hours left of Valentine's Day with him. That was the only thing she regretted about her holiday; while it was a day for couples to share their love for each other, she and Pitch could generally only spend about an hour or so together before the day was over. Just once she'd love to spend a whole day with him, no assignments or various other problems getting in the way.

Jillian descended into Pitch's Venetian themed underground home, stretching lightly as she hit the ground. It was darker than usual and Pitch was nowhere to be found. He had probably fallen asleep waiting for her. Not that she blamed him; it was obscenely late after all.

Sure enough, Pitch was curled up in their bed, the blanket still pulled down and ready for her on her side. There was a small bouquet of roses resting upon her pillow; she smiled as she lifted them to her nose. She wasn't sure how he had gotten them, but she wasn't going to ask. The message rang out loud and clear.

Jillian set the roses on the side table before sliding next to Pitch. He turned in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her. She smiled again; he always knew when she got home. She leaned up and kissed his cheek lightly.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Pitch."

JSVJSVJSVJSVJSV

The next morning Jillian rolled over tiredly. Her hand fell over onto Pitch's side of the bed, searching for him. The moment his absence registered was also the moment she heard a slight commotion coming from the main room. She jolted up and out of bed, worried that something was wrong. Usually the morning after Valentine's Day was a quiet, lazy affair in the home of Pitch Black and Jillian St. Valentine.

She rushed into the main room, bow and arrow at the ready. Only to stop dead as she saw her lover, surrounded by fearlings and her own cherubs.

Her baby-faced helpers blushed slightly as they noticed their mistress/mother and pulled on Pitch's sleeve. He turned around and his face looked almost sheepish as he noticed her presence.

"Good morning, love," he said, as their respective familiars disappeared. "Did you sleep well?"

"Pitch, what's going on? What was all of that commotion?" Jillian asked, vanishing her weapons. It didn't seem like there was anything threatening going on.

It was at that moment she noticed the state of the room itself. The place was decorated in some of her favourite crimson silks from home, and rose petals strewn about the floor. Another of her silks covered a tabled in the center, the bouquet from last night resting on it in a vase. Her breath caught as she took it all in; it was like something from out of one of her dreams.

Pitch stepped toward her with a small smile, taking her hand. He seemed highly pleased by her stunned reaction; it was his sign that he had done well with his surprise.

"Happy Day-after-Valentine's-Day, my Jillian."

Jillian looked up at him, her violet eyes shining.

"Pitch, what... how…?" she stuttered, still unable to believe that he had put all of this together.

He guided her over to the table, pulling out her chair like a gentleman. He waited until she was settled before he sat in the seat next to her. This time he took both of her hands in his.

"We never really get to celebrate Valentine's Day together," he started, his amber eyes locked onto her lilac ones. "It is your busiest day of the year and you are usually gone for most of the day. I'd have to be blind not to notice how much it upsets you sometimes, love. So, this year I figured we'd have a Valentine's celebration of our own, the day _after_ Valentine's Day. This way, we _can_ spend the day together and celebrate 286 years together our way."

"But what about assignments?" Jillian asked worriedly. "What if one of us has to-?"

He placed a long finger against her lips.

"Don't worry about it, I've already worked it out," he assured her, removing his finger and trailing along her cheek instead. "Your cherubs are taking care of any assignments that may pop up as well as supervising any potential nightmares that may crop up."

Jillian laughed and smiled lovingly at Pitch.

"You really did think of everything, didn't you?"

"What can I say?" The Nightmare King replied. "After all, this is a celebration 286 years in the making. And speaking of things that took awhile to perfect." Pitch reached behind the roses on the table, pulling out a small black box with a red bow on top. "I've been planning this for quite a long time. It is part of the reason this little surprise took so long."

He placed the box in Jillian's delicate hands. She smiled as she opened the tiny, velvet box. For the second time that day, her breath caught in her throat.

Nestled amongst the black silk was a beautiful ring. Comprised of a gold band and a black diamond, it seemed like the most fragile of jewelry and yet was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Upon closer inspection, the band and stone itself were made up of tiny granules of dream and nightmare sand. Just like the locket that was still clasped tightly about Jillian's neck.

She looked up at Pitch, speechless. She knew he could be sweet, but this… this was beyond any of her expectations.

The grinning Nightmare King reached into the box and gently took out the ring he had spent the last 200 years creating. It had taken the majority of those years to collect any and all pieces of dream sand Sandy left behind in children's bedrooms. It was completely worth it to see the look on his beloved Jillian's face, however.

He took her hand reverently and slowly slipped the work of art onto her wedding finger.

"We may be considered beyond the conventional standards of engagement and marriage, but I'd still like to see a ring on your finger. Something to symbolize just how much you mean to me. I am an old fashioned guy, after all," he joked lightly.

Jillian giggled before leaning forward to kiss the amazing man in front of her. They were truly lucky to have been given this chance to be together for longer than most humans have to stay alive.

"I love you, my Jillian," Pitch said as they pulled apart slightly, forehead resting against hers.

"I love you too, Pitch," she whispered back against his lips. "Happy Day-after-Valentine's-Day."

And with that, they proceeded to make February 15th the greatest Day-after-Valentine's-Day either had ever experienced.


End file.
